Porte hurting after Giro d'Italia but still aches for Tour de France glory

By Rupert Guinness

17 June 2011 — 12:00am

RICHIE PORTE has said his legs were still sore almost three weeks after helping Alberto Contador win the Giro d'Italia. But after riding with the Spaniard in the Alps this week in preparation for the Tour de France, the Australian is relishing the prospect of supporting him again.

Porte, Contador and four Saxo Bank-SunGard teammates this week rode most of the last three Alpine stages and the Grenoble time-trial route in readiness for the Tour, which starts on July 2.

"I'm still recovering" ... Richie Porte.Credit:Getty Images

Today, said the 26-year-old Tasmanian, they will head to the Pyrenees for reconnaissance of the first Pyrenean stage, the 211-kilometre 12th leg from Cugnaux to the summit finish at Luz-Ardiden.

Then Porte will return to his European base in Monaco for four days, after which he and his partner Tiffany Cromwell - also a professional cyclist - will head back to the high altitude of the French Alps to train before returning home to rest for what will be his Tour debut.

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''I'm still recovering. It was hard [Giro] and the legs still hurt,'' Porte told the Herald. ''In the first two weeks after the Giro I was terrible. My sleep patterns and everything was all over the place.

''It was my second grand tour. I felt every one of the 3500km. Now I am getting better. At the Dauphine and Tour de Suisse, there's been hard racing. [Those riders in the Giro] could come into the Tour better than those guys. You just don't know.''

What Porte does know is that Contador is primed to defend his Tour title, despite him being the subject of a Court of Arbitration hearing in August over his positive test for clenbuterol during last year's Tour.

The Union Cycliste Internationale and World Anti Doping Agency have appealed against the Spanish federation's decision in mid-February to clear Contador. Despite that hanging over Contador's head, Porte is impressed by his motivation.

He never doubted Contador would start the Tour, even though the Spaniard only confirmed it publicly last Saturday.

''He told me he was going to do it … he is there, to win,'' Porte said. ''He is certainly in good condition right now. He seemed to be going pretty fine in the last two days on the climbs.''

Porte cited Tuesday's reconnaissance of the 200.5km 18th stage from Pinerolo to Galibier-Serre Chevalier as evidence. ''Sometimes he goes 'a bloc' [full pace] and other times he would sit with us,'' he said. ''Up the Galibier, he was going. We did the climb behind the car, most of it. It was pretty full on.

''He is a great champion. It's an honour to ride for him. It really is.''